


Nightshade

by colorfulandfree



Category: Super Paper Mario (Game)
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Family Drama, Tragedy/Comedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:00:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25093519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/colorfulandfree/pseuds/colorfulandfree
Summary: As royal heir of the Tribe of Darkness and first-born son of the chief, Lord Blumiere loved his tribe and hated humans...and then he met Timpani. Starts from Blumiere's upbringing in the Tribe of Darkness all the way to the beginning of SPM. Bluepani. Rated Mature for domestic abuse, character death, and suicidal ideation.
Relationships: Count Bleck | Blumiere/Lady Timpani | Tippi
Comments: 21
Kudos: 26





	1. Three Lords and One Lady

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, friends! So, this, along with Thunder Storm, is one of my current passion projects. It will go on for awhile. I plan to divide it into two acts, with Act 1 being the start until the halfway point. To get this out of the way: although this fic does contain romantic fluff, it also contains angst, domestic abuse, and major character death at the end of Act 1. So, if that is not your cup of tea, please click away now! :)
> 
> Okay, now that everyone who doesn't like angst has left, let's get to the fic! Oh, and this also contains OCs, but Erik, Ben, Roselyn, and Laurette are my babies. (Yes, even Laurette, who is older than I am.)
> 
> TW: This chapter contains corporal punishment/physical child abuse.

"For today's lesson, let us start with the founding of our Tribe," Their private tutor began. She opened a history book and set it on the desk in front of her. She flipped to a certain page in the book, smiled, and picked it up. The woman paced around the room with the book in her hands.

"You see, it all began 2,000 years ago," She said. "We were a small group within the Tribe of Ancients, but the old leaders were using a special artifact called the Dark Prognosticus for their own selfish gain. Not only that, but the dark visions in the book were making them greedy, power-hungry, and blind to the suffering of the rest of the group."

"Our ancestors could not stand for this. And so, a young man named Ajax took the Dark Prognosticus and gathered a group of like-minded people. Together, they left the Tribe of Ancients to protect our kind and formed what is known today as the Tribe of Darkness."

She stopped pacing and stood at the front of the room for a while. "You should find that especially interesting, boys. As members of the Nightshade family, Ajax's blood runs through all of your veins."

11-year old Blumiere gasped. "Really?"

"Yes. And as the first chieftain, Ajax ruled the Tribe. Now, that task will fall to one of you."

Blumiere smiled and looked to his two brothers. 9-year-old Erik stared at the copy of the history book in front of him, eyes glazed over. His leg was trembling, something it always did whenever he was feeling restless. And Benjamin, who was only 7 years of age…

He had his head buried in his copy of the textbook. He began to snore quite loudly. Blumiere cringed. He rested his palm against his forehead and sighed. Oh, Ben.

Erik frowned at his snoring brother and tried to shake him awake. "Ben!" It didn't work.

The tutor frowned. "Benjamin!" She went to the table and slammed her hands down against it. BOOM! "Wake up!"

Ben lifted his head. "Hmm?" He rubbed his eyes, yawning. "What?"

"Pay attention! You may be responsible for leading our Tribe one day!"

The boy rolled his eyes. "No, that's Blue. Father says he's gonna be the chief of the Tribe."

"And who do you suppose will lead if both Blumiere and Erik die?"

Ben stared blankly. "Rose?" He asked, referring to their younger sister. The tutor glared and smacked him against the head. "Ow!"

The woman turned away. "Anyway, let us proceed…"

After their private lesson was over and the tutor left, all three brothers walked through the hall together. They passed by servants, who bowed to them and greeted them by their formal titles. "Hello, Lord Blumiere!" "Morning, Lord Erik!" "Good day, Lord Benjamin!"

While Erik and Ben were proud of their status as sons of the Tribe's chieftain, Blumiere wished that the servants would greet him as an equal. He was still a child, so it felt strange for grown adults to bow before him. However, every now and then, there were a few servants and maids he came across that had known him for several years. It was nice to talk to these servants, who didn't see his title, but who he was as a person.

When the boys were in a quiet hall, Erik began to speak about what happened earlier. "She's right, you know," He said to Ben. "You will be responsible for leading the Tribe if Blue and I die."

Ben pouted. He muttered under his breath, "Maybe I don't wanna lead."

"Well, then what will you do when you get older?"

The 7-year-old beamed. "I'll be a warrior, defending the Tribe from any and all evil! Like those filthy humans!"

"Ben, you can't be a warrior. We're Nightshades. We take care of the tribe. We don't fight." Ben rolled his eyes and went back to pouting. Erik turned to his older brother and nudged him. "Blumiere, please talk some sense into him."

"Leave me out of this."

The youngest brother frowned. "No! Talk some sense into me, oh great future chief of the Tribe!"

Blumiere sighed. "Ben, you're acting like a bumbling Ancient. If you keep acting up during our lessons, that tutor will tell Father and then you'll get a lot worse than a smack to the head. I know you don't like school very much, but at least try to make an effort."

Ben frowned. He looked straight ahead. "Okay. Fine."

Erik let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Blue."

Blumiere nodded. He didn't like getting involved in arguments, so he only intervened when it was necessary. "Hey, did you still want to go to Moonstone Lake?"

Ben had suggested it this morning after school. The youngest brother lit up. "Yes!"

The boys stopped in front of their mother's bedroom door. Blumiere knocked and waited. He got no reply at first, just a lot of high-pitched giggling and laughter. Then, he heard her voice. "Come in!"

They walked in and saw their mother, sitting on the floor with her legs crossed. They also saw a 3-year-old girl running around, grabbing necklaces and putting them on her mother. The woman had at least six necklaces on now, but she didn't appear annoyed. Instead, she laughed.

The girl turned to them and smiled. "Blue!" She ran up to Blumiere and hugged his legs.

Blumiere laughed and stroked her back. "Hi, Rose."

His sister smiled and hugged him even tighter. Her full name was actually Roselyn, but Rose had been her nickname since birth. In fact, in the three years since she had been born, the siblings had been using their nicknames for each other more often. After all, it was difficult for a child her age to say 'Blumiere.' (She pronounced it "Boom-ear" when they tried to teach her to say it.) But she could say 'Blue' no problem.

Rose reached for a necklace and turned to Blumiere. He laughed and bent down. She put it around his neck. When she was done, she pointed. "You a pity pincess too!" With that, she ran to her mother, who hugged her and tickled her.

Erik laughed and went to them. "Do you want me to get that stuff off of you, Mother?"

Mother smiled. "No, no. It's fine." Looking at all three boys, she asked, "How did your lesson go?"

Ben's eyes widened. He looked to Blumiere, a pleading look in his eyes.

"It went fine," Blumiere said. His youngest brother let out a quiet sigh of relief. "Can we go to the lake today, Mother? And no guards, please!"

She furrowed her brows. "No guards?"

"I-I just don't like it when they address me by my formal title and treat me like a grown-up…" Blumiere said, messing with the hem of his shirt. That was true, but he also found those men scary and intimidating. He wouldn't say that part in front of his brothers though. Looking back up, he added, "Plus, I'm old enough to take care of Erik and Ben. I promise!"

Mother thought about it for a moment, then smiled. "Alright." The boys cheered and thanked their mother. They started to leave the room. "As long as you bring your sister."

All three boys groaned. Blumiere loved Rose, but that didn't mean that he wanted to watch over her right after school. "Why?"

Mother stood. "I have to speak with your Father soon. He's very stressed right now. And I'm still trying to get Roselyn to calm down without her family here. Every time I leave her with a servant, she just starts crying and won't stop until I come and calm her down. And your grandfather is busy today too. She trusts you three though. Please, just watch after your sister for a little bit."

Blumiere looked to Erik and Ben. Neither of them looked happy. He sighed. He felt the same as them, but he didn't see a way out of the situation. "Alright. Fine. Come on, Rose." The girl smiled and joined her brothers.

As the four walked down the hall, Ben pouted. "Great. We're stuck babysitting when I wanted some time away from my duties."

"Oh, I'm sure we'll find a way to deal with her," Erik said. "Just calm down, 'kay?"

Blumiere peered down at Rose. She had a sad look on her face. He sighed and offered his hand. "Ignore them, Rose. You're fine with us." She smiled and held Blumiere's hand. Turning to his brothers, he asked, "So, what do you two think Father is so stressed about?"

Ben scoffed. "Oh, probably reading that dumb book again."

The oldest brother frowned. "Hey! The Dark Prognosticus is not dumb! It contains prophecies of our Tribe's future!"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. But if the Dark Pop-posterus is so great, why can't we read it? Why only Father?"

Blumiere sighed. "Because, Ben, only the Tribe's chieftain can read it. You know this."

"Alright. Whatever."

The three of them continued with their conversation while the youngest sibling made short comments here and there. Eventually, they left the castle and passed through the surrounding village. Lots of tribesmen and tribeswomen recognized the siblings and shouted out their titles, just as the servants did. The only difference was that there was a fourth name thrown in the mix this time. "It's the Lords. And they brought Lady Roselyn!" "Oh, Lady Roselyn is so adorable!"

Rose smiled and waved at everyone. "Hi!"

Soon, the four of them passed through the nearby woods and came across Moonstone Lake. Blumiere felt a rush of adrenaline course through him. If they walked further out into the woods, they would come across the 10-year-old magic barrier that kept the human village separate from the Tribe of Darkness. Humans could not pass through this barrier, but being magic beings, their kind could if they wanted to.

But of course they wouldn't. It was against the rules and besides, the humans were so corrupt and dangerous that if any member of the Tribe left the group, they would probably kill them on sight. So, they stayed by the lake.

Erik smiled. "Finally! I've been looking forward to this all morning!" He took off his glasses, his suit jacket, and his pants before jumping into the lake. Ben smiled and did the same. When the younger brother rose from the water, he spit water in Erik's direction. The 9-year-old laughed. "Eww! Gross!" He turned. "Blue, get in here!" He said, gesturing to them.

Blumiere started to take off his jacket, then looked at Rose. She still didn't know how to swim. "What about Rose?"

"She'll be fine! Come on!"

He hesitated. "I don't know...Mother said-"

"Oh, come on!" Ben joined in. "Unless you're a coward...like Darren!"

Blumiere frowned. The boys had an uncle who had done something so horrible, so egregious, that he had been cast out of the Tribe forever. They didn't know what he had done; everyone got so tense and angry whenever any of the children asked. This had all happened when Blumiere was still an infant; his siblings hadn't even been born yet. Still, Father didn't hesitate to bring up his estranged brother from time to time, almost always in a negative light.

The oldest brother turned to Rose and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Rose, why don't you go pick flowers over there?" He asked, pointing to a flower patch. The little girl smiled and walked to the flowers.

Blumiere turned back to his brothers, took his shirt off, and jumped into the lake with them. After he swam to the surface, both Ben and Erik cheered. The oldest brother smiled. "No splashing though!"

SPLASH! Blumiere turned, glaring. "Ben! I just said NO splashing!"

The boy laughed. "You're just being a coward!" He splashed his oldest brother again. This time, Erik did the same.

Blumiere turned to his other brother in disbelief. "What? You too, Erik?"

"Yes!" Erik said. He splashed Blumiere again. Ben quickly joined in. They kept splashing him, the oldest brother cringing the whole time. The second eldest said, "Come on! Don't be a coward, Blue!"

Blumiere glared. "Ugh...That's it!" He turned to the water. He took a deep breath and let magic energy course through him. Slowly, he raised his hand and the water gradually rose into a tidal wave. Ben and Erik's eyes widened. Blumiere grinned and let the wave hit both of them. The boys screamed and sunk into the lake, but a few seconds later, they rose from the water, coughing.

Erik jerked towards him. "HEY! No magic outside of class, 'kay? That's against the rules!"

"Your childish nonsense is against the rules!" Blumiere said, splashing him.

The other boy splashed back. "YOUR FACE is against the rules!"

The boys began splashing one another, only this time, it was every man for himself instead of two boys ganging up on one. After a while, Blumiere laughed. "Alright, alright! No more!"

Ben thought for a moment. "I'm getting better at my magic too, Blue!" He summoned a small burst of fire with his hand.

"Oh, that's great!"

Erik summoned an identical flame in his hand. "Hey. How come you can't do fire like us, Blue? You do good with that creation element though."

Blumiere blinked. "Creation?" Erik nodded. The oldest brother thought for a while, then his eyes widened in understanding. "Oh, you mean this!" With that, he summoned new energy: a purple and black burst of dark matter. He made it disappear just as quickly. He had only started learning that element and he was already good at it.

Blumiere thought for a moment. "I don't know, really." He stroked his chin, trying to remember their magic lessons. "I think our magic tutor said each of us is drawn towards one element more naturally...or something…"

Erik smirked. "Yeah. Sounds about right." He turned to all three brothers. "'Kay. No more magic. What now?"

Ben thought before smiling. "I know! Breath-holding contests! All three!"

Blumiere sighed. He was never one for situations where he felt out of control. Even though he could rise to the surface at any moment, he still felt a bit vulnerable under water. Still, he agreed. "Alright, I guess…"

Erik smirked. "I'm gonna beat both of you."

Ben counted to three before the boys took a big gulp of air and dived in. It was hard to see in the lake, as the water was dark and murky. Still, Blumiere could make out two blobs in the water. Slowly, one of them rose. The bigger form, Erik, held out for longer before he floated to the surface too. Blumiere joined right after him. The three took a moment to gather their breath before the oldest brother looked to Erik, smiling. "What was that about beating me?"

Erik frowned. "Shut up!"

The boys kept playing together for at least another hour or so. With all the lessons, loud parties he had to attend, and constant pressure he felt as the chief's son, Blumiere liked relaxing with his brothers and acting like a child for once. Plus, Rose didn't seem to make too much of a fuss, doing whatever she was doing in the woods.

As the late morning was winding down, the boys were playing another game where they got to ask one another questions, but there was a twist: they had to pick one out of two awful options. Ben turned to Blumiere. "So, Blue. Would you rather kiss another boy…" He smirked. "Or a human girl?"

Blumiere's eyes widened and he swam back. "BLECH! You have a disgusting mind, Ben." He thought for a moment and sighed. "Can it be on the cheek or something?"

"Nope! It has to be lips!"

He let out another sigh. "Fine then. Another boy. Whose turn is it to ask questions again?"

Erik's eyes widened. "Yours, Blue." He laughed. "But if you really fancy other gentlemen, I'll tell Father to find another boy for you to marry one day."

The oldest brother glared and splashed him. "You know I only like girls in that way." He turned to both of his brothers. "But a human girl!? That's gross! I would never, ever want anything to do with one of those filthy, evil creatures!"

They laughed. "Yeah," Ben agreed. "Me neither. Just wanting to see which you would pick."

"I'd be more grossed out if you chose to kiss a human!" Erik said. "Another one of our kind is the only clean option, even if it is another boy." The other boys nodded in agreement. Then the second eldest frowned. He sighed. "We should return home now. Mother will start to get worried."

Ben sighed. "I hate when you're right." He got out of the lake with Erik at his side.

Blumiere started to follow, but nearly tripped on something in the water. He frowned and peered into the lake. What was that thing? It was a large blob with no distinguishable features...

"Hey, Blue?" Erik asked. "Where's Rose?"

His eyes widened. Suddenly, he couldn't breathe. Blumiere held his breath and dived into the water. He swam down and pulled out his sister. He rushed to the surface and laid her on the grass. Erik and Ben rushed to his side. "Roselyn!" They cried.

Blumiere moved her hair aside and performed mouth-to-mouth on her. He leaned back and she was deathly still. She did not appear to be breathing.

His eyes grew impossibly wide. No, no, no. Blumiere put his head against her chest and let out a sigh of relief. He looked up at his brothers. "Her heart's still beating!" He frowned. "But she still needs help."

Ben started shaking, tears running down his face. He clasped his hands over his mouth.

Erik began panting hard. "Oh, Jaydes…" He suddenly turned. "Blumiere! What do we do!?"

Blumiere looked at his brothers. He was only a child himself, but they were counting on him. He looked down at his sister, small and helpless and barely hanging on. Blumiere picked Roselyn up in his arms and stood. "C-Come on! We've got to hurry!"

Erik and Ben nodded. All three boys ran back to the tribe with their sister in tow.

That afternoon was the most terrifying and frantic that Blumiere had ever known. He raced through the village with his brothers, shoving past anyone who tried to talk with him and ignoring the everyday people calling out his name.

Finally, he ran into the person he needed most right now. Layla, the Tribe's shaman, stood outside her small home. Her eyes widened as the three boys raced towards her. When they were a few feet away, Blumiere cried, "Layla, we need your help!"

Layla stared with shock. "My Lords! W-What is the trouble?"

Panting, Blumiere said, "It's...our...sister! Sh-She needs help…" The shaman stared in disbelief before taking Rose in her arms. Blumiere went on. "Sh-She's not breathing and I already tried mouth-to-mouth and-"

"It's alright," Layla said. "It's alright. I can feel her soul still with us, but she needs help immediately. Come."

She went inside her home and all three boys followed her. She had the boys sit in the small, yet comfortable living room while she went to help Rose. The shaman told them to wait and that she would be out as soon as possible. However, she also warned them that there was a chance that Rose wouldn't make it.

Blumiere sat in the middle of the worn-down couch. He whispered, "Th-This was all my fault...I should've been watching her!"

"No!" Ben said, crying. He sat to Blumiere's right. "It's mine! I-If I hadn't suggested going to the lake in the first place-"

"STOP IT!" Erik shouted, trembling. "It was all of our faults. We all should have been watching her. Besides, I'm the one who pressured you into joining us in the lake, Blue." He peered into the back room that Layla had taken their sister into. "W-We just gotta hope she's gonna be okay…"

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Blumiere stood and went to answer it. He opened the door and his eyes widened when he saw who was standing on the other side. Mother and Father were both there. Blumiere hugged his mother. "Mother!"

Mother hugged him back. "We heard about all the commotion. A servant summoned us here right away…" She pulled away and glanced at all three of her children. "Oh, boys. I told you to look after her! I told you!"

Father frowned. Even now, he took the Dark Prognosticus with him, tucked between his side and right arm. He stepped further inside and looked around. "Where is she?"

"L-Layla is taking care of her," Ben whispered.

Father nodded and sat down at a nearby chair, opening the Dark Prognosticus. Mother remained standing, but her hands were trembling. The boys exchanged nervous glances.

After a moment of tense silence, Layla stepped outside. Rose walked out with her. The whole rest of the Nightshade family lit up. "Roselyn!" They all said at the same time.

Layla grinned. "She's going to be alright. I would recommend avoiding that lake though." She turned to their parents. "Count Derrick, Countess Laurette, you're very lucky. She was hanging by a thread, but she should be okay now."

Rose walked to them with a blank look in her eyes. Blumiere let out a sigh of relief and bent down. "R-Rose, I…" Just then, she burst into tears. The oldest brother hugged her, but she quickly wiggled out of his grip. "No!" Instead, she turned to her mother and ran to her, hugging her legs. "Mama!" She continued to weep.

Mother smiled grimly, rubbing her back. "Oh. It's okay, sweetheart. You're okay now."

Father let out a sigh of relief, then turned to the boys. "Blumiere. Erik. Benjamin. Calm yourselves. I know you are not all responsible for today." The brothers relaxed. For a moment, Blumiere thought everything would be okay. That is, until his Father went on. "Now, whose idea was it to go to the lake today?"

There was a moment of silence. The atmosphere was just as dark as it had been moments before. Mother looked at them and bit her lip. Rose was too young to understand and kept weeping.

Suddenly, Erik stood and joined his Father's side. "N-Not mine, sir!" Blumiere glared. He hated when Erik got like this. Always sucking up to Father, even if someone else was in trouble.

Father scowled at his second eldest son. "Then whose idea was it?"

Erik stepped back. "Well...I...uh…" He turned to Blumiere and Ben.

Blumiere glanced at Ben. According to Father, he was the one who deserved punishment. However, the small boy was already shaking and tearing up. The oldest brother frowned. He was only 7 years old. He didn't deserve what Father had in mind. Besides, Blumiere was the one who agreed to look after Rose.

Having made his decision, he turned to Father. "It was mine, sir."

Ben let out a small gasp. When he glanced at him, he saw a smile and gratitude in his eyes. Meanwhile, Father frowned. "I see." He turned to his wife. "Laurette, we are done here. Let's just get the children home."

Mother nodded. "Thank you so much for everything, Layla. Come along, boys."

As the Nightshade family left, Blumiere caught a glimpse of the shaman, watching them with a confused look on her face.

The family walked back to the castle in silence. This time, no one bothered to greet them. Even though the sun was still shining, the day felt cold and bleak to Blumiere. He felt the dread inside of him grow as they got closer and closer to the castle.

Once they got back, everyone was allowed to return to their devices. That is, except for Blumiere. Father took him to his bedroom and shut the door behind them.

All was silent.

Blumiere gulped. "F-Father, I'm-"

SMACK! The slap was so hard that Blumiere fell to the ground. He stroked his cheek with a shaking hand. It was hot already.

Father glared. There was nothing but anger and hatred in those burning red eyes of his. "YOU FILTHY CHILD!" He summoned his staff, the one made of wood that contained a polished sapphire, cut into a diamond shape. Suddenly, he began beating Blumiere with it over and over, shouting at him. "YOU'RE JUST LIKE DARREN, AREN'T YOU!? ALWAYS RUNNING AWAY FROM YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES! AREN'T YOU!?"

"Father, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Blumiere cried, hot tears sliding down his face. No matter how hard he cried, Father did not relent. He began punching and kicking him as well as using his staff. He didn't stop shouting, cheeks burning a dark shade of purple. Soon, Blumiere felt a part of himself break away while the small, helpless 11-year-old boy cried before him. That made it a little easier.

After Grambi knew how long, Father stopped. He threw his staff to the ground, which was now covered in blood. Bang. With that, he left the room, muttering to himself. SLAM! Blumiere was left alone.

The small boy was still shaking. He held his knees close and sobbed. The room was still so dark. How was it so dark, even in the middle of the day?

Just then, the door opened again. Slowly this time. Blumiere shook his head. "I-I'm sorry…" He said in a small voice. He gulped. "I-I'm so sorry…"

A gentle voice. "Blumiere." The boy gasped and looked up. Nero Mandrake stood before him with a small flame in his hand. He looked like Mother with his violet skin and wise silver eyes. His purple hair was turning gray and he had wrinkles all over his face. "Are you alright?"

Blumiere let out a sigh of relief, then shook his head. "N-No, Grandfather. I did something horrible today…"

Grandfather sighed. "You are not the one who did something horrible." He offered his free hand. "Come, Blumiere. Let's get you cleaned up."

After healing his wounds, Grandfather took Blumiere to his bedroom. He sat in his rocking chair while his grandson cuddled up against him. He wrapped him in blankets and whispered soft words into his ear. It wasn't his fault. Roselyn was going to be just fine. He was very brave to take the blame for Benjamin.

Now that Blumiere felt better, there was a question that nagged at his mind. It had been there for years, but now, he could not ignore it any longer. Besides, he was 11 years old now. The Tribe couldn't expect to keep the secret from him forever. "Grandfather?"

"Yes, young one?"

He turned over so that he was looking at Grandfather in the face. "What did Darren do that was so bad?"

The old man's eyes widened. His face grew a lighter shade of purple. "W-Why are you asking about that now, Blumiere?"

"F-Father said I was just like him. Th-That I always run away from my responsibilities. Because I should've been watching Rose..."

Grandfather frowned. After a long moment of silence, he said, "No, Blumiere. That is not true. You see, your Uncle Darren...He…" The old man sighed. "He fell in love with a human."

Blumiere's eyes widened. "A-A human? Is that why Father hates him so much?"

"Well, even when he was here, the two never got along well."

The boy glared. Suddenly, he felt the same disdain for him that Father did. "Why would he abandon our Tribe for a dirty human?"

"I cannot say."

Blumiere sighed. "Well...I'm never going to be like him." He beamed. "I'll be the best chief that the Tribe of Darkness has ever seen!"

Grandfather grinned. "I'm sure you will, Blumiere."

The boy smiled and fell asleep in his grandfather's lap.


	2. The Autumn Harvest (Part 1)

The next six years passed by as if in a dream. Soon, Lord Blumiere was 17 years old and he had more responsibility and training as a chief alongside his father. More importantly, a special ball was taking place that night. That was when Blumiere would choose a noblewoman to be his future bride. He felt anxious at the thought of it and not for the reasons that his father was hoping for. 

He looked out the window, watching the wind blow and trees sway with the wind. He also thought of his upcoming birthday at the end of the month. 

_“It’s the first of November. At least I have something to look forward to. Still, why does it have to come at the end? Why did I have to be born on the last day of the month?”_ Blumiere thought of cake, balloons, and people having a good time. “ _I suppose that will have to wait…"  
_

Blumiere looked to his brother. Erik’s leg was trembling, his silent way of indicating that he wanted the meeting to be over. He did plenty of that when they studied together as kids. “ _I_ _wish Ben was old enough to be here. He managed to make those private lessons more interesting...Still…"_ His mind wandered to a different topic. “ _Why is this ball even called the Autumn Harvest Ball? All of the main autumn crops have already been harvested... Soon it will be nothing but winter crops…”_

“Blumiere.”

The lord turned and saw everyone’s eyes on him. He completely forgot that he was a Tribe meeting for a moment. He looked to one person in particular. “Yes, Father?”

“What do you think? 

“I think…” Blumiere looked around. Suddenly, his eyes landed on his grandfather. “...That we should listen to Grandfather’s opinion first. He is the oldest and wisest of us. Is that not so?”

There were murmurs of agreement. Father looked among the other members of the group before nodding himself. “Very well…” He turned. “Nero, what do you think?”

“This idea of yours is foolishness, Derrick,” Grandfather said.

Blumiere froze. He looked to Erik. His brother gestured for him to come closer and Blumiere did so. He whispered, “He’s just talking about the humans again. Don’t worry.” Blumiere let out a sigh of relief. He hadn’t missed anything important. Good. 

Father frowned. “What are you talking about? These dirty humans are a disease.”

“A disease that is contained within _their_ walls. We still have the barrier and no human has ever crossed that, nor any current member of the Tribe. It has been 16 years since one of us even _thought_ about crossing the border. “

“Yes...Anyone who broke that rule would have to answer to me…” He turned. “Blumiere? What are your thoughts on this?”

The young lord hesitated. He knew that Father wanted him to take his side, yet he couldn’t see why he hated the humans so much. When Blumiere was a child, he mimicked his Father’s disdain of them so easily. However, when he got older, the fear made less sense. The humans were weak and quite useless, but they weren’t hurting the Tribe in any way. They deserved to live quiet lives in their tiny village, so close and yet so distant.

“Grandfather has a point. If those creatures aren’t attacking our homes or any member of the Tribe, then I see no reason why we would have to attack them. Just keep things separate, as they have always been.”

“They’re right, Father,” Erik said. “Attacking their village unprovoked puts us _all_ in danger, not just the military.”

The rest of the group murmured in agreement with the old man and his grandsons. Father frowned, but even he knew when he was outnumbered. “Very well. But this is an issue we will have to deal with at some point. We cannot let their breed go on forever...not so close to our borders…”

“You are letting uncertainty cloud your sense of judgement,” Grandfather said. “As long we have our barrier and no one crosses it, then everyone in our tribe will be safe.”

“Yes, indeed. You are all dismissed. Blumiere, a moment?”

Blumiere froze. However, he knew that he didn’t have much of a choice. “Yes, Father. Of course."

As everyone began to leave, Erik gave his brother a reassuring pat on the back. He looked like Father with his round eyes and smile most of the time, but Blumiere saw his Mother’s features in his younger brother too: violet hair and skin, yellow eyes, and a long nose. Even with his father’s likeliness, Erik’s grin gave Blumiere a small bit of comfort. It lasted until he left with the rest of the group, making sure to shut the door behind him. 

There was a moment of silence. Father turned to Blumiere. “So, my son...Have you given any thought to the ball tonight?”

Blumiere felt a wave of relief. Father hadn’t noticed that he wasn’t paying attention. Soon, however, that burden was traded for more weight on his shoulders. “Erm...Some.”

“Some?”

“I, uh…certainly feel anxious about it. I would prefer not to think of it though.”

“You _should_ think about it. You have an important decision to make.”

Blumiere lowered his head. “I know…”

“Consider yourself lucky,” Father said. “Your mother and I did not have the option of choosing our partners.”

“Yes...and I am grateful you are giving me this choice.” The young lord looked up. “However, is one night really enough time to pick the woman I want to marry?”

Father frowned. “Love is not as difficult as people say. When you know you have a connection with someone, you will be able to tell. It did not happen overnight, but after our parents told us we were getting married, I fell for your mother.”

“Oh? And what did Darren say about her?”

Father grew tense. Blumiere wondered if he stepped out of line. Over the years, he had grown curious about his estranged uncle. Who was he before he became a traitor and an outcast? Still, it felt like he was walking a thin line between growing closer to his father and making him angry with questions like these. 

After a brief moment, Father sighed. “He said that Laurette is beautiful and I should be happy that I get to marry her.”

Blumiere waited to hear more, but his father said nothing else. “Is that all he had to say?”

“Yes. As young adults, we talked about having a double wedding. Darren said that since we were born at the same time, we might as well marry at the same time too.” There was a moment of pain in his father’s eyes before they grew cold and hard. “But as soon as he met that dirty girl, he was gone…”

Father looked back at Blumiere. “I would never want you to share the same fate as him. Banishment and disgrace is not fitting for a young man of such promise…” He thought for a moment before saying, “Choose and choose wisely, my son. You are excused.”

The lord nodded before leaving the room. Once he was alone, he let out a sigh. He caught up to his brother, Erik, who was waiting for him at the end of the hall. The two left the building together. “So, what did Father have to say?” Erik asked.

“He just wanted to hear my thoughts on the ball tonight.”

Erik grinned. “ _The autumn harvest ball,_ dear brother.”

Blumiere frowned. Flatly, he said, “Thanks for the correction.”

His brother looked to him with concern in his eyes. “Is everything alright?”

The older brother kept walking, eyes focused straight ahead. “I am anxious...uncertain...words that Father doesn’t seem to know the definition of.”

Erik frowned. “Blue, I think you’re being a bit harsh.”

“Really? I think you’re being a bit easy on him.”

“Well, even if Father didn’t notice, I know _you_ weren’t paying attention during the meeting. Why don’t you try and work something out with him?”

“I have tried, but he doesn’t want to listen to anything I have to say.”

“Maybe he’s more focused on the rest of the Tribe. Please, Blue...at least try and look at it from his point of view?”

The older brother sighed. “Perhaps _you_ should be the future chief then, Erik...” With that, he walked ahead of his brother. 

“Blue, wait!” Erik called out. However, moments later, he sighed and let him go without him.

* * *

After taking a moment to calm down, Blumiere went outside, where he knew his other brother would be. He went out to the field where he normally practiced archery. “Ben? There’s something I--”

Suddenly, Blumiere watched an arrow shoot past him. The arrow hit bullseye, albeit the corner of it. The older brother turned with a frown. Ben laughed. “Blue, you know better than to get in the way when I’m doing target practice!”

Blumiere rolled his eyes. “I was _not_ in your way, Ben.”

“Yes, you were!”

“I was not.” 

“You definitely were!”

Blumiere sighed. His brother certainly could be stubborn at times. “Fine. Whatever you say.”

Ben furrowed his brows. He looked much like their father and even Blumiere to an extent: red eyes, dark blue skin, and even the same hair color. However, he had some of their mother’s characteristics too: a longer face and slender nose. Still, unlike Blumiere who resembled their father and Erik, along with their sister, who more resembled their mother, Ben had some features that seemed to be all his own, like the way his blue hair sprouted out of his head in wild waves.

Even with his whole-hearted embrace of nature and fighting, however, he still had his softer moments. This was one of them. Lowering his arrow, he asked, “Is something wrong?”

Blumiere sighed, walking closer to him. “Just a Tribe meeting that went on too long. Nothing else…”

Ben thought for a moment. “Well...do you want to practice with me? Take your mind off things?”

“I’m not in the mood for that…”

The younger brother shrugged. “Suit yourself.” He turned and shot a second arrow, smiling when it hit the center of the target. 

Blumiere watched before sighing. “Do you have an extra bow and quiver?”

After the older brother retrieved his own tools, Ben talked to him more. “So, what’s the problem? Is it the marriage stuff?”

Blumiere looked at him in disbelief. “ _Marriage stuff?”_ He sighed. “Why is everyone so accepting of this but me?” He turned away and shot his arrow, missing the target by a long shot.

Ben laughed. “Wow. You were _way_ off!”

“Yes, Ben. I know. This is your strong suit, not mine.”

“Well, to be fair, I don’t know how _you_ keep up with those long, boring books. So, I’ll consider us even,” He said before turning away and hitting another bullseye. 

Blumiere raised an eyebrow, lowering his bow. “How are you so good at this?”

“Practice,” Ben replied. “Try adjusting your stance. Arms up a little more, eyes focused on the center. Even if you miss, you’ll still get a little closer.”

Blumiere nodded and let another arrow loose. This time, he hit the far end of the target. It was nowhere near close to the center, but at least he hit something. Ben seemed to think so too. “There! See, you hit the target this time!” He said with a smile. Blumiere couldn’t help but grin. 

“Anyway, I think you’re just nervous because you’re the one who has to choose a bride.”

The older brother nodded. “Yes, that’s right. Still...why do I even _need_ to marry? Why can’t I just rule on my own?”

“Father is concerned about future heirs. He wants to keep the bloodline ‘pure,’” Ben explained, making air quotes with his fingers. Blumiere saw his point. Father was always going on about future grandchildren, how adoption wouldn’t pass his genes on and was only a last resort. How could he have forgotten that, even for a moment? Ben went on.“Besides, I don’t think it’ll be too bad. It might even be fun to meet girls.”

“Perhaps…”

“Oh, come on, Blue!” He said, giving a playful shove. “There’ll be several noble girls there, all wanting to meet you! You have to find someone you like!”

“I am not one for large gatherings. I can do five people in a room, maybe six maximum before getting too exhausted...and I would be one of those six people…”

“You gather in large groups all the time for tribe meetings,” Ben pointed out.

“That’s different! And somewhat more manageable…”

“How come?”

“If we’re gathering to discuss Tribe matters, that’s one thing. But if people are gathering just to dance and make noise, then we really have no business there other than to be figureheads. Yet Father drags us along anyway.”

“Ah, yes,” Ben said with a smirk. He put on a deeper register, imitating their father. “Look at me and my fancy suits! Look at my wife! Look at my perfect children!” Next, he put on a high falsetto, imitating the partygoers. “They are so well-behaved, Derrick. So refined and graceful! They are _most_ ideal for leading the Tribe!”

Blumiere couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re right, Ben. We _are_ the most ideal for leading!”

“Of course we are! We’re Nightshades, after all!” 

With that, the boys laughed. Once they were done, Ben continued. “Well, if it makes it easier, pretend that it _is_ a Tribe matter.”

Blumiere thought for a moment. “In a way, it is…” Turning to face his brother, he said, “I did not consider that before.”

“See? All it takes sometimes is to look at something from a different point of view!” He gave his brother a quick side hug before turning to the target. “Now, give it one more try! Last arrow!”

Blumiere nodded and pulled his arrow back before releasing it. He hit the center of the target. Ben’s jaw dropped before he laughed, a smile dancing on his lips. “Blue, you did it! You hit the target!”

He blinked. “Yes, I did…”

He let out a cheer before hugging him. “I’m so happy for you!”

Blumiere showed a small smile. “Thank you, Ben. But it really wasn’t much…” He sighed, turning to the target. “Now, let’s ask for the servants to clean this up.”

* * *

That night, Blumiere changed into his evening clothes. When he finished, he stared at his reflection in the mirror and frowned. As of late, it had been bothering him how much he looked like his father. He had his crimson eyes, small nose, skin tone, and tall height. He had his mother’s longer face, but that was about the only physical similarity he shared with her. 

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, interrupting his thoughts. “Come in.”

The visitor opened the door, stepping in. Blumiere turned. “Oh. Hi, Roselyn. What do you need?”

Roselyn smiled, stepping further inside and shutting the door behind her. (She still allowed her family to call her Rose, but liked her full name better now.) While Blumiere had taken on his father’s appearance, Roselyn was the spitting image of their mother. They both had the same violet skin and face, though Roselyn had violet hair instead of their mother’s lighter shade.

As the youngest sibling, her growth was something that nearly every visitor commented on. According to Mother, it was only yesterday when she was a little girl, following her brothers around and saying little. Now, as a child, she maintained a gentle spirit, but she was also friendly and sociable. Father always went easier on her when it was her turn for a beating, but Blumiere overlooked that usually. She was still his sister. 

Smiling, Roselyn said, “I made something for you!”

Blumiere tilted his head. Lately, Roselyn had picked up the hobby of designing and making clothes. It was mostly for her and her friends, so it was rare for her to make something for a man. “What is it?”

“Close your eyes and hold out your hands!” Blumiere did as his sister asked. Roselyn pulled something out from behind her back and placed it in his hands. “Ta-da!~

He opened his eyes. He now held a tall, white tophat. He blinked. “A tophat?”

She nodded. “Uh-huh! I made a couple hats for you for tonight, but I think this one would look better on you. Try it on!”

Blumiere put it on and turned to the mirror. Father wore tall tophats like these. Now, he looked even more like him. “Hmm…”

“Well?” Roselyn asked. “Do you like it?”

He took it off and turned to her. “I look like Father…”

Her smile faltered. “So?”

Blumiere didn’t know how to explain his plight to her. She could tell Father later and get him in trouble. She tattled on all three of her brothers growing up. Sometimes, she couldn’t always help it. Roselyn was too much of a gossip for her own good at times. So, instead of telling, Blumiere pointed to the other hat she had brought: a black, shorter tophat. “Can I see that other hat you have?”

Roselyn nodded and handed him the hat. He put it on and turned to the mirror. Looking at his reflection, Blumiere felt a bit better. “Hmm. This works better, I suppose…”

“You want that one then?”

He turned to face her, nodding. “Yes. It will work for tonight.”

Roselyn smiled, hugging him. “Okay! I’m so happy you like it, Blue!” She let go of him, beaming. “Oh, I’m so excited! There’ll be so many cute boys there! Girls too! Oh, Blue, aren’t you excited?”

“More anxious than anything.”

She furrowed her brows. “Why? You’ll get to meet the girl of your dreams and dance into your happily ever after!”

“I don’t believe in fairytales, Rose. Nor the notion of “the one.” I’m not interested in ladies in general. Now I’m supposed to pick one to marry?”

“Oh, come on, Blue! It’ll be fun! You’ll see!”

Blumiere thought for a moment, then grinned. “Yes, I could see it being enjoyable. But on one condition.”

Roselyn blinked. “What?”

Taking her hands, the first-born heir said, “Will you be my first dance of the night, Lady Roselyn?”

Roselyn grinned, letting out a giggle. “I’d be happy to, Lord Blumiere!”

Blumiere gave his sister a warm embrace. Rubbing her back, he gave a solemn sigh. Whether he liked it or not, he would have to find a bride tonight. Not only that, but he would have to stay with her for the rest of his life. He hoped he would make the right choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll probably add the second part tonight or tomorrow.


	3. The Autumn Harvest (Part 2)

That night, noble members of the tribe filled the ballroom. The crowded room was brimming with small talk, chatting, and boisterous laughter. The young lord felt crushed by the noise and pressure on his shoulders. Still, he knew there was no escape; he would just have to get through it. Blumiere looked down at the glass of red wine in his hand and tilted the glass back and forth, watching the liquid swish inside. He was about to take a sip when he heard a voice.

“How are you doing, Blue?” 

Blumiere jumped, but relaxed when he saw that it was just his brothers. Erik furrowed his brow. The oldest brother grinned. “I’m alright,” He said before taking a sip of wine. 

Ben frowned. “Hey! No drinking.”

“Why not?”

“Because...You get really tipsy, really fast when you drink.”

“Please wait until after the dance, at least,” Erik suggested.

Blumiere stared at his drink, swishing the glass again, debating whether or not he should follow his brothers’ advice. “A drink _would_ make this more fun though…”

Before he could sip his drink, however, Ben shoved him playfully. “Oh, come on! Lighten up, Blue!”

He rolled his eyes. “When you have to marry a stranger, I’ll remind _you_ to lighten up.”

Ben groaned. “Why are you being so grouchy about this? All you have to do is pick the prettiest one and tell Father that you like her! It’s not that hard!” Blumiere turned away, taking a long sip of his wine. His younger brother rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I’m going to try and see if my friends are here.” With that, he walked away. 

Erik sighed. “Come on, Blue.” He took his brother’s hand and led him to a quiet area in the ballroom before letting go. “Look. I know that you’re nervous, but don’t take it out on us! We’re trying to help you!”

With the noise dialed down, Blumiere could finally think. As relieved as he was, the present matter became all the more clear. “Nervous? I would rather be anywhere but here, Erik.”

“Hey. Remember to breathe,” Erik said, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

Hands trembling, Blumiere responded, “I...I can’t.”

He stepped in front of him and grabbed both shoulders. “Deep breaths. Okay?”

With that, Erik helped Blumiere take deep breaths until he was calm enough to speak. “I...I’m alright now…”

The middle brother stepped back, smiling. “See? I’m here. You’re not alone.”

Blumiere relaxed somewhat, but was still tense. “I wish you were born first.” He looked into the crowd and saw Ben joking with his normal group of friends, some cousins on their mother’s side and a few noblemen their age. “Or Ben perhaps. He’s more pleasant with people that he doesn’t know…”

Erik let out a dramatic gasp. “Ben? As the chief!?” He shook his head in mock disapproval. “No, that would be a disaster.”

He laughed before remembering a moment they shared earlier that day and feeling instant remorse. “Look, I apologize for being cross with you after the meeting today.”

“It’s alright. Look, don’t even worry about finding a bride. Just talk to people, dance with the girls, and this night will be over before you know it! Remember: you won’t even have to choose a noblewoman to marry until later.”

He sighed. “That’s the thing, Erik. There are plenty of pretty girls out there. How am I supposed to choose one to marry?”

Erik thought for a moment. “Well, do you remember how Grandfather told us that Grandmother was a good friend of his long before they were engaged?” Blumiere nodded. The second oldest continued, “So, why not pick the girl that you get along with the most tonight?”

Blumiere thought about that advice. “That...might work.”

“See?” Giving his older brother a hug, Erik said, “You’re more likeable than you give yourself credit for, Blue. You’ll do fine!”

“But...What if I don’t--?”

Just then, they heard their father speak before the crowd. “Your attention, everyone! Thank you all for coming tonight!” He said. He continued addressing the crowd, voice dripping with charisma and effortless charm. Anyone outside of the Nightshade family would think that this man was the perfect choice to be their chief and maybe even a good father. Blumiere and Erik knew that he was putting on an act, however.

Even so, Blumiere felt the dread from earlier come creeping back. “Oh no...Father will announce us soon.”

“Hey. Don’t worry. Just smile and look like you’re having a good time. It works for me,” Erik said with a shrug.

Blumiere looked at his younger brother and thought of the times when they came to similar parties as children. Ben and Roselyn were always more extroverted and had no problem relaxing and having fun at events like these. However, Blumiere would usually complain as a small child. Around the time he turned 12 or 13, his father would scold him right there in front of everyone for not being “pleasant” around guests. (He even got a few new bruises in private.)

Erik was similar as a child, but unlike Blumiere, he quickly learned to smile and nod along at parties, keeping any grievances to himself. 

Knowing this, Blumiere sighed, “Perhaps I should learn to be more like you then.”

Erik grinned. “Perhaps.” With that, he took his brother’s hand, leading him back into the crowd. He made sure that their father could see them so that he wouldn’t get angry later. “Give me that drink, ‘kay? Father will scold you after this if he thinks you’re even a little tipsy!”

“Right. Good idea.” He handed the glass to Erik and dusted off his suit before glancing at his father, who was standing at the top of the staircase, projecting effortlessly to the rest of the room. 

“I’m sure you lovely ladies are eager to speak with my son, Lord Blumiere,” Father said. “It seems that it was only yesterday when he was just a babe...And now he’s becoming an adult! I could not be more proud of him tonight!”

The crowd clapped while Blumiere resisted the urge to roll his eyes. On the outside, he smiled vaguely. _“He’s always been more proud of me in front of a crowd.”_

“So, it only makes sense for him to start the night with my youngest child...my only daughter and one of the brightest lights of my life. At my son’s suggestion, the first dance of the night shall be between him and his sister, Lady Roselyn.”

This caught Blumiere off guard. He knew that he suggested it, however, he never mentioned it to Father. It seemed that his sister had already approached Father with the idea. He looked across the room and watched Roselyn hug their mother before walking towards him. They met halfway at the dance floor. He bowed. She curtsied. 

As the music began, Blumiere led Roselyn in the simple dance. In a low voice, however, he began to talk to her informally. “The night has just begun and you’ve already told Father about my idea?”

Roselyn whispered back, “Why not? He was bound to find out eventually, Blue.”

He couldn’t help but smile at that. “True...Still, I just know that your inner gossip will get me in trouble one day. Most likely my future fiance too!”

Roselyn smirked. “The bookworm _in you_ will do the same for me!”

He laughed and gave her a quick twirl. “So, it has been about half an hour, I believe. Have you met any handsome boys, _Lady Roselyn?”_

She frowned, even as he addressed her title in a playful way. “No, _Lord Blumiere..._ Most of the boys my age are kinda funny looking. I like older boys more.”

“Then, let’s hope that you will find a husband that is older than you one day…”

“Or a wife. There are some pretty girls here too!”

Blumiere laughed. “Yes...or a wife.” It was still somewhat taboo to be attracted to the same sex in the tribe, so one could only imagine Mother and Father’s bewilderment when Roselyn came to them saying that she was attracted to _both_ sexes. Still, this changed little in the tribe or even the household that matter. The next day, life continued as normal. 

“I still find it funny, Blue,” She went on. 

“What do you mean?”

“This,” She said, gesturing to the crowd for a brief moment. “All those fairytales you and the boys read to me before bed about princes and princesses, yet you can’t imagine a fairytale for yourself!”

Blumiere smirked. “Right. I completely agree. All those magic lessons and you’re still struggling to control fire. Those were the first elements that Erik and Ben mastered as children…”

Roselyn blushed and shouted, “SHUT UP!”

His eyes widened and he looked to the crowd, who was muttering in confusion, before looking back to her. She noticed the crowd’s reaction even more and put on a smile quickly. “I-I mean…” She laughed. “Oh, shut up, Blue! You’re too good!”

Blumiere laughed nervously before leaning closer to her. “Be careful…Remember, we have guests…”

“Sorry...But you know that I don’t like it when you tease me like that!”

“Alright. I’m sorry too.”

Both focused on the dance for a while longer, making sure to get their movements right. Roselyn smiled sadly. “The dance is ending, Blue. Father will want you to talk to girls soon.”

Blumiere sighed. “I know…” He listened to the music before leaning forward. “Alright, in a few moments, I’m going to lower you in a dip. Are you ready?”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I got it. Mother made us practice this song a million times, remember?”

Blumiere lowered his sister in a dip. With that, the song ended and the crowd applauded. The brother and sister stood back upright and both gave a bow and curtsy. As the orchestra began to play a different song, Roselyn gasped before turning to Blumiere and tapping his shoulder. He bent his knees to lower himself to her height and she whispered to him. “I just saw a really cute boy...I gotta go. Good luck, Blue!”

He grinned before whispering, “Thank you. Good luck to you too, dear sister.”

Roselyn smiled, then walked off into the crowd. Within a matter of seconds, she was gone. Blumiere looked around and wondered if he could stall by talking with his family for just a bit longer. 

Erik was sipping wine and speaking to Mother. Ben was talking with a small group of girls now, who were laughing at a story he was telling. (Blumiere would always envy his younger, extroverted brother for that effortless charisma of his…) Father and Grandfather were both speaking quietly in serious, hushed tones. He couldn’t tell if they were speaking about political matters, the ball, or _him._

Blumiere knew his best chance would be to speak with Mother and Erik for a bit so he began to head towards them; however, he didn’t even make it five steps before hearing a voice from behind him. “Excuse me, Lord Blumiere.”

He turned and noticed a girl in a golden dress standing behind him. Her dark hair was in an intricate, braided updo and she had a bit too much makeup on her face. The young woman walked closer to him, making sure to sway her hips from side to side. Smiling too widely, she said, “That was _so_ adorable to share a dance with your sister like that. Was it her idea?”

Blumiere had to keep from sighing. _No, it was mine. Weren’t you listening?_ That was what he wanted to say, but he wouldn’t dare risk making his father angry by being rude to a guest. True, it was _their_ private ballroom, but Blumiere knew that he was still expected to be friendly with _all_ of the potential suitors.

The lord put on a fake grin. “It was mine, actually. Roselyn has always enjoyed all of the attention, ever since she was small.”

The girl’s smile faltered. “Yes,” She said flatly. Even so, her smile was back in an instant. In a sultry voice, “So, how about _I_ have this next dance with you instead of your sister?”

 _One of us is clearly trying too hard._ Instead of speaking his mind, however, Blumiere nodded. “Of course, milady.” When she told him that her name was Lady Stella, he nodded and told her that it was a pleasure to meet her. When the girl offered her hand, he kissed it. When the familiar, dreaded rhythm of the orchestra began, he offered his arm and she linked hers with his before they approached the dance floor together. He bowed. She curtsied. 

Now, the night had truly begun. 

* * *

As the night went on, Blumiere tried not to pay attention to the clock as he spent time with the young women who were in line for his hand. He tried to charm them and act nice, but he lost energy within a couple of hours. Still, he knew that the night would continue as long as his father wanted it, so he went outside to get a breath of fresh air.

Blumiere walked outside and stopped at a nearby balcony. He looked at the fake flowers all around him, decorating the area. He grabbed one of the false plants and took a sniff of it. Nothing. He sighed and turned to go back in.

That was when another young woman stepped outside. She shut the door behind her and took a few steps forward before seeing Blumiere. There was an awkward silence. 

He examined her quickly. The woman had purple skin and velvet hair kept in a neat braided bun. She wore an evening green dress and black gloves that reached her elbow. Finally, she had golden eyes that shone in the darkness, reminding him of a streetlight. Simply put, she was beautiful in her own quiet way. 

Softly, the woman began to laugh. “Hello…”

Blumiere blinked. “Good evening, miss. May I have the honor of knowing your name?”

She curtised. “Lady Arianna, sir. Arianna Darkmoon.”

The lord thought for a moment, trying to remember where he heard that name. Then, it came to him. Her father was Alexander Darkmoon, a valued merchant in the tribe. His father and hers had worked together in the past, although it had been many years ago. “I’ve heard of your family. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“I can say the same for you…”

There was a moment of silence. She looked down at the ground and bit her lip. He furrowed his brows. “Are you alright?”

She gave a gentle laugh. “Just a bit nervous is all.”

“Why?” 

“I don’t know...I always feel nervous at big events like these…”

Blumiere nodded. “I understand. I often feel the same way.”

“You do?” He nodded. She hesitated for a moment before looking up at him. “Is it alright if I ask you a question?”

“What is it?”

Arianna went to the edge of the balcony and looked at the stars, allowing the cold wind to pass her by. “How do you feel about this whole marriage ball?”

 _It’s dull and frivolous…_ “It’s nice to meet different people. How do you feel about it?”

The lady frowned. “I’m having a decent time, but...That’s not what I mean.”

Blumiere turned to her, surprised. “Well, then...What _do_ you mean?”

“I’m talking about the very concept of making a nobleman marry before he’s ready...just for tradition. Don’t tell the nobles I said this, but I personally don’t think it’s right.”

His eyes widened. “You don’t?”

She shook her head. “It doesn’t seem fair to make a man choose a woman to be his bride, only because he gets along with her for one night. There is so much about a person that you can’t learn in such a short amount of time, even if you tried.”

He thought for a moment. “Yes, I agree completely…”

Arianna turned to him, smiling. “At least I still have plenty of time before I will get married. Of course, my family wants me to be the person that the young man from the Nightshade family will pick, but I myself am uncertain about it all.”

Blumiere stepped back. “Excuse me?”

Again, she hesitated. “What if Lord Blumiere is not as nice as people say he is? What if he actually treats his servants poorly? Or if he only pretends to get along with his younger siblings for show? What if he is a...cruel man?”

As Arianna looked back to the night sky, Blumiere stood there in disbelief. _She doesn’t know me...Should I tell her who I am or leave her in the dark for now?_

Arianna sighed. “Forgive me, sir. I shouldn’t say these things about the oldest heir. He is our future, after all.”

He thought for a moment. _She is bound to discover the truth eventually. For now, though, I’d rather have a conversation with her. An honest one, without her bowing before me._

“No, it’s alright. You should be skeptical. Lord Blumiere has been taught about the importance of having good leadership skills every day, but there is still a lot he has to learn about ruling and taking care of others.”

She smirked. “Is that so? Do you know him personally?”

Blumiere nodded. “Yes. I know him well…You could say that I have known him for my entire life.”

Arianna smiled. “It’s very nice of you to come and support your friend, then. Forgive me for arriving a bit late. My older sister and even her friend, Stella, have a habit of taking eons to get ready.”

“Yes. I understand.” He muttered under his breath, “The same can be said of my youngest brother…” The young woman laughed. He did the same before continuing. “And yet even so, he is one of the most sociable of my siblings and me. The middle brother in my family seems like the type of man to prefer to be alone.”

She furrowed her brows. “Alone? But why? Doesn’t he ever get tired of being all by himself?”

“Hardly. And if he does, he has his siblings to call on. Besides, Lady Arianna, it is better to be alone than with unpleasant company…”

“Hmm...You make a good point.” She became nervous again for a brief moment. “Do you think...the young lord would be upset if I told him I arrived late to his own party? I heard he shared a dance with his little sister, but I missed it unfortunately. Even worse, I heard he was so excited for this…”

He shook his head. “He wasn’t. This whole thing was his father’s idea. Besides, even if he was looking forward to this, I don’t think he would mind any late arrivals.”

“That’s good to know...This whole situation would be awkward if he was. Actually, do you mind telling me more about him?”

“Yes, gladly…”

For a good 10 to 15 minutes, the two walked and chatted informally, sharing information about the other. Arianna tried to ask personal information about him as a break from learning about ‘Lord Blumiere’, but whenever she did this, he laughed and continued to share more information about himself. He said that he wasn’t important. He was just a man who needed some fresh air. 

When they returned to the balcony, Arianna gave a curtsy. “Well, it’s been a pleasure, but I have to go back inside now…”

“Oh? And why is that? It’s a beautiful evening.”

“Because you are very nice, but I’m supposed to spend time with Lord Blumiere himself!” She said with stress in her voice. “Oh. By the way, I don’t believe I’ve learned your name. Real quickly, what is it?”

“Well...You will find out soon. I must go back in myself. It was a pleasure, Lady Arianna.”

She still hadn’t put the pieces together, but she nodded with a furrowed brow. With a small smile, Lord Blumiere bowed before leaving the woman alone on the balcony. 

* * *

Aside from his enjoyable encounter with Arianna, the rest of the night was quite forgettable. Thankfully, it ended quickly. However, when Blumiere was getting ready for bed, Mother and Father started arguing. He sighed. Father must have done something to upset Mother. In instances like these, she would bottle up her emotions and then snap at him. One little comment was enough to get him yelling and the two would argue. There were even nights when he would beat her. 

Of course, there was nothing Blumiere could do but escape the castle for a short period, usually by going on walks and reading in the garden. If his mood was severe enough that he couldn’t leave his bed, then he would simply stare at the ceiling and think of something else until they would quiet down, sometimes covering his ears. 

There were also times where he had to take care of his siblings. When Erik was a child, Blumiere would tell him stories of them as adventures, traveling the world together. When Ben came along, he would include him in these tales, making it a point to talk about a future without the restriction of their family name. Finally, when Roselyn was born, Blumiere reached out of his comfort zone and told her princess stories, borrowing books from their library. 

Roselyn needed comfort tonight as well. A short while after the arguing started, she walked into his room. Blumiere sat up and looked at her. “Are you alright, Roselyn?” He asked, even while knowing the answer.

The nine-year-old shook her head. “They’re fighting again…”

Blumiere frowned and moved on the bed, allowing her to join him. “Do you want me to get Erik and Ben?”

As if on cue, Erik and Ben entered the room on their own. The second oldest brother approached her. “Having trouble, Rose?”

She nodded. “Y-Yeah…”

“Well, um…”

Ben spoke up. “Oh, I know! Let’s read a story!”

Roselyn began to breathe quickly, panicking and tearing up. “Y-You’ve...read...them all…”

“Whoa, whoa…” The youngest brother held her close. “Breathe, Roselyn…”

She pulled away. “Don’t touch me!”

“Alright, alright. No touch,” Erik said. “But you need to breathe.”

After calming down for a moment, Roselyn muttered, “Okay...I’m alright…”

“Are you sure?” Ben asked.

“Yes, but...I don’t want to be alone…” 

The brothers were silent for a moment. As Erik and Ben watched over their sister, Blumiere thought hard. Finally, he asked, “Do you still want that story?” She nodded. He patted down on the surface of the bed. “Then, sit down. I have a new story for you.”

Roselyn nodded and sat on the bed. Blumiere wrapped an arm around her and she laid her head against his side. Erik and Ben joined, sitting on the other side of their sister. 

“Once upon a time, there was a magnificent Count who lived in a beautiful castle. He had numerous servants and strong ties with all of his family members, who resided in the castle with him. However, there was something missing in his life. It was…” Blumiere trailed off. He couldn’t think of what someone like the Count might be missing. He looked to his brothers for ideas.

“Love,” Ben said.

Blumiere blinked. “Erm...love? That sounds a bit cliche, don’t you think?”

“ _L_ _ove,_ ” He repeated. He said it in a serious tone, but they could all see him trying to hide a smile.

“Okay, fine. He was missing love.”

Roselyn giggled. “Was this Count a member of the chief’s family, like us?”

“Of course! But…” He thought for a moment. “...against his father’s wishes, he fell in love with a beautiful peasant and she felt the same way about him!” They all gasped dramatically, going along with his over-the-top tone. 

“The two made a plan to run away together and marry in secrecy…” Blumiere began.

Father grew louder as he shouted florid insults at his wife. _Whore. Bitch. Useless._ Blumiere turned, watching his siblings’ reactions. Erik and Ben frowned. Roselyn bit her lip, trembling. 

The oldest brother sighed and raised his voice a bit in response. “One day, however, the peasant went missing. The Count suspected that his evil father had something to do with this, so he left his home to try and find her. Along the way, he met…” He turned to one of his brothers. “Who, Erik?”

Erik thought for a moment. “One of his most loyal servants, who knew the Count for all of his life. The servant came to help him look for his girlfriend.”

Blumiere nodded. “Very well. So, he and the servant…”

“But it was a female servant,” He added.

The oldest brother blinked. “A...A female servant?”

Erik smiled and put on a high falsetto, placing his hand over his forehead. “Lord Blumiere! I shall never leave you! I shall serve you for all of my days! After all, I made an oath! Oh, Blumiere!~”

The other siblings laughed. “Alright, Erik,” Blumiere said. 

“Wait, wait. This is about Blue now?” Roselyn asked.

He shrugged. “I suppose so.”

Ben frowned. “Blumiere, I’m surprised at you! You’ve been meeting girls and courting them behind our backs?” He shook his head. “For shame.”

The oldest brother laughed. “I wouldn’t do something like that, Ben. Let’s just say that the magnificent count was a completely different person who happened to share my name.”

“So, then, the servant fell in love with the count," Erik continued. "Suddenly, he had to choose between the peasant he fell in love with, or the loyal servant who was beautiful in her own right…”

“In the end, the count thought she was more beautiful than the peasant!” Ben interrupted. “So, he married her instead and they all lived happily ever after! The end!”

Roselyn blinked. “Um...That ended abruptly.”

Blumiere listened for a moment. They were quieter now, but he could still hear their parents arguing. He gave his brothers a look. “I agree…”

Their sister didn’t appear to notice, too enmeshed in the story. “Why...Why would Count Blue fall in love with someone else? That...makes no sense. The whole reason he left in the first place was to search for the peasant that he initially fell in love with. Why would he just forget about her?”

The oldest brother thought for a moment. “He didn’t…” He sighed. “Let us back up a bit...The servant fell in love with the Count, but he didn’t love her back.”

Erik pretended to cry in a dramatic way. “Why, Count Blue?”

Blumiere glared in false anger. “Because! That’s why!”

The second oldest brother huffed and crossed his arms, looking away. “Fine! But I’m still loyal to you!”

“If that's what you wish...” He cleared his throat. “Anyway, Count Blue and the servant searched and searched for many years, but they could not find the peasant. And there was no one, not even the beautiful and loyal servant, that the Count could love as much as her…”

Roselyn looked up at Blumiere. “So, what did he do? Give up?”

He paused to think, running his fingers in his sister’s long purple hair. “He had to eventually. However, in a moment of despair, he--”

Ben interrupted him again. “He decided his father sucked for not letting him marry whoever he wanted! So, he went back home and killed him with magic!” He turned to Erik and shoved him down onto his side of the bed.

Blumiere tried to keep himself from laughing. “B-Ben--”

As the father, Erik cried out. “AHH! GOODBYE, CRUEL WORLD!” He withered until he fell back on the bed, even going as far as to stick his tongue out. “Bleh! I’m dead!”

Roselyn doubled over, laughing. “No! Stop!”

Blumiere chuckled a bit. “I thought this story would have a happy ending!”

“No happy endings this time!” Ben replied.

The four of them laughed before the oldest of them calmed down a bit. “Settle down, you three!” Once his younger siblings were done laughing, Blumiere continued. “So, Count Blue had murdered his father in cold blood and as a result, he was banished from his home. It was sad and hard for both him and the servant…”

“Blumiere…” Erik said, more of that fake crying from earlier back. “How could you kill a member of your own family!? I’M LEAVING YOU NOW!”

“Count Blue was devastated. He had just lost everyone important to him in life. However, he would not let himself grieve in front of this woman. Instead, his heart had hardened. BEGONE, WOMAN! COUNT BLUE CAN SURVIVE WITHOUT YOU!”

“Then the servant came back the next day,” Ben said.

“Bleh…” Blumiere muttered. 

“I’M SO LOYAL! I’M BACK!”

Flatly, Blumiere said, “Count Blue was elated…”

Roselyn laughed. This made all three of her brothers smile. 

“As the years went on, Count Blue and his servant met more friends, such as…” Blumiere trailed off. He turned to the youngest of his brothers. “Who, Ben?”

“I don’t know,” Ben said with a shrug.

Erik shoved him with his elbow. “Ben, think of someone.”

He was silent for a few moments before his eyes widened. “OH! IT’S MY TURN!”

Erik sighed. “Yes, Ben.”

Ben thought for a moment. “He found...A clever thief, who begged to join their group!”

As the servant, Erik said, “I don’t trust him, Blue. Let’s kick him out!”

“No, it’s okay! Because the thief is actually...Count Blue’s LONG LOST BROTHER!” Upon hearing this, the three siblings laughed. Ben frowned. “What? The story needed a plot twist.”

Erik patted him on the back. “I love you, Ben, but that is not a good twist.”

Ben pouted. “Fine. He’s his long lost cousin.”

“That’s not much better…” Blumiere said. 

Quietly, Erik said to his older brother, “Oh, let him have his fun.”

Blumiere shook his head. “On second thought, they can be cousins. Count Blue was shocked to discover he was related to the thief. Now, he had family that he never knew…”

“AND THEN HE MET A WARRIOR!” Ben interrupted yet again. “WITH MUSCLES!”

Erik shoved him playfully. “Yes, muscles...but he was lacking brains!”

“Hey! Leave the warrior alone! He can be smart at times too. For example, he’s quite empathetic and sees the good in everyone!”

He blinked. “Are you getting defensive over a character you made up literally seconds ago?”

“Hold on a moment,” Blumiere said, fighting to hide a smile. “I wasn’t finished!"

Raising her hand, Roselyn chimed in. “Oooh! Oooh! And then he met a pretty princess who had a magic wand and she could change herself to look however she wanted!”

He smiled. “Ah, yes. How could I forget?” Blumiere ran a hand through his sister’s hair. “A sweet little princess with pigtails and the most beautiful green eyes.” She giggled. 

“She could be a brat though,” Ben muttered. 

Roselyn frowned. “Hey!”

“Be nice, Ben,” Blumiere said. He cleared his throat. “Count Blue’s birth family may have been gone, but he found a new family. With them, he finally found the love that he had always wanted. But he was still missing someone: the beautiful peasant that he fell for all those years ago…”

“That was when the peasant came back!” Roselyn said. “It turned out that she had been looking for him too. They were married and they all lived happily ever after! The end!”

Blumiere laughed. “Yes. The end. How did you like that story?”

Roselyn hugged all three of them. “It was the best story ever…”

Just then, the four siblings noticed that their parents had grown quiet. They must have decided that they could only shout so long, especially so close to bedtime. Ben smiled upon realizing this. “Hey, they stopped! “

“Yes, it’s quiet now…” Blumiere said. “That means it’s time for bed. Good night, you three.”

Roselyn hugged him. “Good night, Blue. I love you.”

He hugged back. “I love you too, dear sister.” 

With that, he kissed her on the forehead, making her giggle. 

“Group hug!” Ben cried. He joined the embrace, even pulling Erik over to join them. 

Blumiere laughed. “I love you two as well…”

After his younger siblings returned to bed, Blumiere stood and thought for a moment. He sighed, showing a small smile, then left his room and even the castle as well, leaving through a door that led to their mother’s garden. Once he stayed out long enough to know that the coast was clear, Blumiere snuck off quietly into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: I wrote the part with the siblings making up the story while dealing with insomnia that night.
> 
> Chapter 4 will be out eventually haha.


	4. The Sun and the Moon

There was no point in saying goodbyes, no point in delaying his plan. When Blumiere learned that he had to marry a stranger, he accepted it as just another freedom he would have to give away in exchange for the Tribe's future.

However, as time went on and he spoke to the girls at the ball, it hit him. He had little choice in what was arguably the most important decision of his life. He could pick the woman he got along with the most that night, but there was no time to think, no time to process it. And if she turned out not to be what he thought she was? Annulling the marriage would be difficult, even for him. This affair was sacred, a bond that was never to be broken.

If he stayed home, he would marry a young woman and be the chief of the Tribe. They would have children and he would lose himself to what the tribe required of him. Well, Blumiere would not have his life decided for him. Surely, his family would understand.

As soon as he left the garden, Blumiere went to the stables. There, all of the horses rested, from Father's grand Arabian steed to Roselyn's newborn pony. A black horse in particular slept in his stable. This was Marcel, a gift for his 14th birthday. Within an hour of learning to ride him properly, he felt a connection to the horse. Whenever he had free time and the weather was nice, he would spend the afternoon horseback riding with Ben at his side. However, as Blumiere got older and his responsibilities grew, he had less time for riding, though he still made it a point to at least come by the stables.

Blumiere went to the bucket and pulled out a sugar cube before opening the stable door and walking towards the horse. "Marcel...I have something for you…" He whispered, putting the sugar cube close to his nose.

Marcel opened his eyes slowly. He sniffed the sugar cube before chopping it in one bite. The house huffed in delight and licked Blumiere's hand, making the young lord laugh. He patted his steed's head, feeling his warmth. Then he remembered the plan.

Blumiere opened his eyes. "I know it's late, but we have to go now." With that, he put the saddle on Marcel and led him out the stable door, making the horse stare with a confused look in his eyes. His master couldn't blame him; this wasn't the usual time for horseback riding. Once Marcel left the stables, Blumiere mounted his horse and rode off into Moonstone Woods.

As Blumiere went deeper into the woods, his anxiety crept up on him. He thought of the time Roselyn nearly drowned in the lake and the beating Father gave, quick and brief in his memory now, but never ending at the time. The lord knew he would come looking for him eventually, but he would not think of that now. That would only slow him down. So, he thought of the future ahead and tried to imagine a life of his own making.

When he reached the barrier, he had Marcel stop and the two stared at the outside world for a moment. He remembered the meeting from that morning and his grandfather's words: _"We still have the barrier and no human has ever crossed that, nor any current member of the Tribe. It has been 16 years since one of us even thought about crossing the border."_

Then Father's reply: _"Yes...Anyone who broke that rule would have to answer to me…"_

Blumiere took a deep breath as Marcel walked slowly to the barrier. At that point, he got off of his horse, figuring it would be easier to go in himself and then move Marcel along with him.

The young lord hesitated before sticking his hand through the barrier. He felt a strange buzz, first at his hand, then it quickly crept up his arm and the rest of his body. Blumiere grit his teeth and barred it, taking a step forward. It felt as if he was walking through gelatin, the barrier making his limbs feel soft and heavy, the buzz growing sharp. He took another step forward, using his left foot this time.

When he made the last step, he stumbled forward hastily. The weight from his limb lifted. Suddenly, he was able to move normally. He gasped, feeling a rush of excitement before turning back. "Marcel?"

There was no resistance for his horse. Marcel walked straight through the barrier, making a quick cut in the barrier before it fixed itself in a matter of seconds. Blumiere blinked before shaking his head. "I did it…" He muttered.

Blumiere wasn't sure how to feel. His father couldn't hurt him. He would search everywhere within their boundaries before even entertaining the idea that he had left. On one hand, he felt a rush of shame. This was the same path Darren took…

But he wasn't leaving to pursue a girl. This was a choice that Blumiere made for himself. He felt fear, guilt, and shame, but also a sense of peace and quiet. "He can't hurt me now," He whispered. "I'm safe…"

* * *

After a half hour of traveling, it started to rain. It was a light drizzle now, but Blumiere knew this would be a problem soon. He had a warm coat, boots, and packed a small pillow and blanket, but that was all for not if he had nowhere to stay.

There were local inns, but they would recognize him and word would spread that the chief's son was staying there.

Blumiere also thought of his aunt Lucille. She was friendly and a gracious host. However, he dismissed the possibility because not only would it raise suspicion, but his mother's sister would not let him defect from the Tribe. Not after losing her oldest daughter, Leanne, to the outside world years ago. _"What to do..."_

He looked at the stars and thought of Mother. His earliest memory was when he was 3 years old and the two went stargazing, pointing out constellations and cuddling close on a blanket. A shooting star went by. He didn't recall what she wished for, but he wished for Erik to listen to him; Blumiere didn't quite understand that he was only a year old and was still learning to communicate, let alone know what people were saying.

What would Mother think if she woke up the next morning without Blumiere at the castle? He froze at the thought. In all of the time that he imagined and re-imaged the scenario, he didn't think of Mother. The sweet, patient woman who loved her husband and children dearly. Her heart would surely be broken if her own son defected from the tribe.

Not only that, but the entire tribe was looking to him to lead them. He brushed these concerns aside earlier, thinking that if Erik sympathized with Father so well, he would be a better fit for the role. Now, it dawned on him that he had no wife, no heir, and was only 15 years old. Sure, some of that was true of Blumiere, but Father was already working to change that. Even if he couldn't marry for love, he didn't want to strip his own brother of the same right. Not to mention his life would drastically change course overnight.

Would Erik, the one who preferred to get lost in his books rather than joke with others at parties, be a good fit, even when he was of age? And what would Ben and Roselyn do without him, his sweet younger siblings who required a lot of attention, yet taught him so much about life and joy and innocence?

"Marcel, we have to go back," Blumiere whispered, pulling on the horse's reins. He was ready to turn around and go to the castle. However, looking at the world outside of the barrier, he froze. He had never ventured outside of his tribe before. How was he supposed to find his way back? "We have to try…" The lord muttered. "We'll find a way."

He started to go back the way he came, but Blumiere began to feel the effect of not sleeping that night. Fatigue overcame him as he re-entered the woods. (According to a signpost, it was called Sunstone Forest on this side of the barrier.) To make matters worse, a misty fog covered the area and the more he tried to get through it, the thicker it seemed to become.

After a considerable amount of time passed, Blumiere found himself passing by the same signpost from earlier again: _You are now entering Sunstone Forest._ However, this time, he noticed smaller writing below: _Beware of the blue face tribe!_

"They call us blue faces? Hmm…" Blumiere muttered, rubbing his eyes. They always considered themselves tribesmen of darkness. The last official species name they had was shadow people, a name the Ancients gave them for their quick speed and isolationist nature during their conflict with them. The chief at the time embraced it, but the term was archaic. He should have expected their enemies to call them derogatory terms, but this still surprised him. He pressed on, trying different paths.

Just when he was about to lose hope of returning home, Blumiere saw light in the distance. "We must be returning to the village…" If the streetlights were on during this time of day, Father must be looking for him. He would have a lot of explaining to do, but at least he would be within his family's reach.

He had his eyes firmly set in front of him until Marcel stopped, causing Blumiere to sway forward. Blumiere frowned. "Marcel…" He whispered. The horse huffed and stared out into the distance. The blue-skinned man kicked his side, but Marcel was stubborn. The lord sighed, knowing that he only acted like this when he was afraid. Either that, or tired and irritable.

He sighed and got off his horse. Blumiere tried to look ahead, but the fog and rain distorted his vision. He moved forward, only focusing on the light...

That was when the dirt gave way beneath him and Blumiere found himself falling down a cliff. He cried out and reached for something to grab, but only felt the air slipping through his fingers. Soon, he smashed into the ground before hitting his head on a rock, sharp and hard.

He felt a throbbing pain and a warm liquid leaking from his head. Shaking, Blumiere ran a hand through his hair, only to see red stains. Not only that, but he could only see from his right eye. Through his other eye, he could only see red. Still, it continued to rain, cold and relentless. The lord felt the water soak through his clothes and onto his skin. He heard muddy footsteps, getting louder, before everything faded to black.

* * *

The next thing Blumiere knew, he was in a warm room. He felt sunshine and heard trees swaying with the wind outside. He never felt so peaceful. Then he remembered why he was here. He opened his eyes and noticed that his left eye was covered. He remembered the blood from the night before and winced.

That was when the door opened and a human stepped in.

Blumiere froze. The human turned to close the door behind her before walking further inside. When she noticed him, she smiled. "Oh! You're awake at last?"

For a moment, it was as if his throat was filled with cotton. He swallowed hard. After looking around the room and noticing all the plain furniture, he asked himself, "Where...am I? Is this a human's home? Bleeechh!" Blumiere tried to sit up, only for shooting pain to rise in his muscles. He groaned and fell back against the bed.

The girl rushed to his side. "Don't wiggle like that! I found you at the cliff base. You took quite the fall!"

Blumiere blinked and examined her. The human was young; she appeared to be close to him in age. She had long blonde hair that she kept wrapped in a ponytail with a rainbow ribbon keeping it in place. She had light skin and her eyes were gray-blue, reminding him of a night sea. For a moment, Blumiere felt safe with her. Then he remembered who he was. "You're a human, correct? I don't...repulse you? I am of the Tribe of Darkness…"

"Why would that matter? Anyone with a heart would not ignore an injured soul!" The young lord stared with furrowed brows, not sure what to say. "When I saw you injured down there, I couldn't just ignore it! I had to help!" She added. Hesitating, she asked, "Do you...not believe me?"

Blumiere wanted to say he didn't; after all, that is what he should believe at the moment. Still, he couldn't ignore her sincere tone. Instead, he felt the bandages covering his left eye. "…Why can't I see?"

"One of your eyes was bleeding. Hopefully, it'll go back to normal after I remove the bandages, but there are no guarantees. Please...stay here until I can heal you properly?" She asked. Well, it wasn't like he had a choice. Blumiere nodded. The girl let out a sigh of relief. "Thank Grambi! Is there anything else I can do to make you comfortable?"

He thought for a moment. "Marcel...My horse. He was at the top of the cliff when I fell. Is he alright?"

The girl nodded. "He's in the stables outside. I had to climb up there for a long while to get him with you on my back, but it was worth it now that you're both safe." Hearing that, Blumiere let out a sigh of relief and told her that he needed a moment to himself. She nodded. "Let me know if you need anything, alright?"

She started to leave the room. He hesitated before calling out to her. "Wait!"

The human turned around. "Yes?"

"What...is your name?"

The girl smiled. "Timpani."

* * *

Blumiere didn't know what to think.

He tried to use magic to leave, but when he did, the discomfort from his injuries grew from a dull pain into a sharp ache, the wounds even bleeding more. He knew he would put himself at greater risk if he left, both now and later when his father questioned him.

He debated whether he should make up some sort of lie or tell the truth. Blumiere was always a horrible liar. It felt wrong to do so, unless it was for a good reason. Still, what would happen if he told the truth this time? Would he be beaten? Scolded in front of the rest of the family? Or worse, would he be banned from leaving the castle? He shuddered at the thought. Nature gave him an escape that people could not.

Blumiere turned and looked out at the window. The sun was up now, shining brightly in the clear blue sky. Were his parents sending out search parties to look for him? Were his siblings worried? And what of Grandfather? He knew he had to get home as soon as possible, but at the moment, all he could do was wait. The lord felt a rush of guilt and shame; he hadn't thought this all the way through and now he was only in a deeper mess than when he started.

However, his fate wasn't the only thing on Blumiere's mind. Ever since he could remember, Father hated the humans in the village and it wasn't just him. Some of their most trusted advisors and servants, otherwise kind and smart men, would talk about how humans were useless, dirty, and dumb. When he was a child, Blumiere learned of the wars between the Tribe of Ancients and his kind over the Dark Prognosticus, the crisis averted when the stubborn Ancients, many of them humans, had finally surrendered and the dark magicians were allowed to keep the book.

He had never heard any stories about good humans and yet here was this girl tending his wounds, providing food and water for him, and casually telling him about her day like they were the best of friends. Blumiere didn't know what to make of it. Finally, he asked her, "Excuse me, miss?"

She looked up at him, holding a bowl of soup that she prepared for him. "Timpani is fine. What is it?"

"Why are you treating me so kindly?"

The girl shrugged. "Why wouldn't I be kind?"

"Don't you humans loathe my kind? I am a member of-"

"The Tribe of Darkness. You mentioned that earlier," Timpani finished, setting the bowl on a nightstand beside the bed. Looking back at him, she added, "Like I said, I couldn't just ignore you. This village can talk bad about your kind all they want, but my parents taught me to always help someone in need and I don't think that only applies to humans!" She hesitated. "But at the same time, I understand if you don't trust me. You're quite sheltered, aren't you?"

Blumiere blinked. "Sh-Sheltered? Well, I...erm…"

Timpani giggled. "I'm just teasing!" She lifted a spoonful of orange broth. "Here."

The blue-skinned man hesitated before taking the spoon and putting it in his mouth. Immediately, he was hit with powerful spices and intense heat. His eyes widened and he took the spoon out, coughing and sputtering.

"Oh goodness! Are you alright?" She asked.

"Why is this soup so...spicy?"

She tried to hold back a smile, but failed. "Well, it's called Spicy Soup for a reason...But I'm sorry. This always makes me feel better when I'm sick and I forgot to warn you."

Despite the heat in his mouth still lingering, Blumiere lifted the spoon once more. "It's no trouble. I can eat spicy things. I just...wasn't expecting this is all." He ate more soup and swallowed it quickly.

He wasn't used to hot food unless it was a pepper or spice of some sort, but he still felt somewhat embarrassed. He was a young lord of the Tribe of Darkness, the son of the chief. He should be able to handle human food, no matter how intense the flavor may be. (He must have looked humorous because Timpani chuckled at him.)

In a matter of hours, Blumiere's disgust around Timpani wavered. Still, he did feel a sense of unease and confusion. She was so unlike the useless and unpleasant human creatures that he had been taught about. She was kind, well-mannered, and seemed to genuinely care about whether or not he got better. After all, she did make a good point; she could have very well ignored him and left him to bleed at the bottom of the cliff. But she didn't.

As the early morning dragged on, one question lingered in Blumiere's mind: why did this human save him?

When Blumiere felt well enough to move, he let Timpani know right away. She helped him leave the bed, but he made it a point to go out the door on his own. He felt sore in some places, but he would have to spend the rest of his recovery at home. Still, Timpani said she didn't want him to get lost or more hurt, so she insisted on leading him out of the village.

Wearing a cape covering most of his body and face, Blumiere left the human village on his horse with Timpani at his side. She led him to a hill with a lone tree on top and let go of his hand. "Well, this is as far as I can go. I don't want anyone from your tribe to find me."

"They won't," Blumiere said. "Nobody has left the tribe in 16 years."

Smiling, Timpani said, "Until now…"

His eyes widened. That's right. He had left the tribe, hadn't he? His situation was different though. He was going back. Still, he felt his cheeks grow hot.

Timpani didn't appear to notice. "Well, it was nice meeting you, sir." She curtsied. "Please try and stay out of harm's way from now on!"

"I will. Don't worry about me," Blumiere said.

"I'll try not to." There was a moment of silence. The two looked at each other for a few seconds and the lord saw a strange look in the girl's eyes. He saw both curiosity and yearning, but her words betrayed her. "Well, goodbye." With that, she turned and began walking away.

That was when Blumiere felt a new sense of urgency. He felt dread at the thought of not seeing her again, but he didn't know the reason. As she walked further away, that feeling grew and he couldn't bring himself to leave. Not without talking to her…"Timpani, wait!"

She turned. "Yes?"

"Do you have any obligations tomorrow night?"

Timpani blinked. "Well...No. Why do you ask?"

Blumiere rubbed the back of his neck, peering at the ground. "I would like to see you again...if that's alright."

The girl stared. For a moment, he wondered if she would reject this offer. Instead, she smiled. "Yeah? Well, I would like to see you again too."

"Then we can meet here."

"Alright. What time?"

Blumiere checked his watch, the surface of which had a long crack in it. Even so, the clock still functioned. "The sun usually sets around 7 o'clock in the evening and my parents rest at 9 o'clock…" He muttered aloud. Blumiere thought for a moment before looking back to her and asking, "How does 9:30 sound?"

Instead of answering, Timpani stared at his watch. "Why do you still wear that watch if it has that huge crack in it?"

"This was a gift from my grandmother before she passed. I dropped it as a child, but I still carry it because it is all I have left of her."

She frowned. "Oh…I'm sorry for your loss."

"Don't worry about it. She passed away when I was small," Blumiere said. He didn't remember a lot about Grandfather's deceased wife. Only that her name was Roselle, his sister having been named after her, and she was a sweet woman with a lovely singing voice. She also loved him and Erik a lot. She knew about Ben and wanted to meet him, but died of sickness before she could. Still, she was family and this gift, albeit damaged, was his way of keeping her close.

Timpani thought for a moment, then smiled. "Well, 9:30 sounds good to me. I'll see you tomorrow!"

"I shall see you as well, Timpani."

The two parted ways, both returning to their respective homes. Blumiere knew that Father would disapprove of him talking to a human, but the young lord couldn't bring himself to regret arranging another meeting. "Just one more visit, and I shall never see her again," Blumiere thought. He found himself looking forward to the next time he would see her, even as a part of him wondered if he had really met a human or if he was dreaming.

Still, he knew that everyone was worried. Father would demand answers the second he saw Blumiere, what with him not at the castle that morning and his injuries. How would he explain all of this?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey friends. This chapter gave me a writer's block because I didn't know how to write Blue's attempt at running away, but I plowed through it anyway. Some Trivia:
> 
> 1) Marcel, Blue's horse, was first introduced in a old chapter of my fic that has since been deleted. Nero was introduced here as well and Arianna was mentioned. I disliked the chapter it was from, but found the scene interesting enough to make a fic off of.
> 
> 2) My original idea for this fic was called Falling and was about Blue reflecting on how he met Timpani and his relationship with her. This centered around Memory 1, which is shown here. I felt the idea was too short and didn't like the writing, so I scrapped it and began writing an outline which became the first chapters of this fic.
> 
> 3) Shadow men/Shadow people was the original name for Blue's kind, but I didn't like it overtime. (To the point where every time I saw it in old fic chapters, I would cringe and say, "Thanks, I hate it!") Can't quite explain why.
> 
> The term "blue face" was thought of by my friend, Dimi. I asked if I could use it and she agreed, so shout out to her.
> 
> Stay tuned for the next installment of the fic!
> 
> -Free


	5. Love and Lies

It was mid-morning when Blumiere returned to the castle. Timpani had led him to a small hill that was about a mile from a secret entrance in the Sunstone Forest. He returned through the barrier and took hidden paths through the village back to the castle. When he arrived at the front gate, he dismounted from Marcel and went to the two guards standing in front of it. 

Aramis and Audric were brothers who had been looking after Blumiere for as long as he could remember. Aramis looked at him in confusion while Audric held a tighter grip on his weapon. “State your purpose here,” The latter said. 

Blumiere pulled his hood down and gave a slight smile. “H-Hello, you two…”

Once they got over the shock of seeing the young heir outside the castle, they took him back inside while telling him how worried his family was. Apparently, Father had been studying the Dark Prognosticus in his bedroom all morning. Whether that was due to looking for answers to find his son or because he simply couldn’t look away from the book was anyone’s guess. 

After the guards left, Father gestured for his son to come inside his room. Blumiere listened reluctantly and shut the door behind him. “My son...Where were you this morning? I do not recall giving you permission to leave.”

Blumiere went over the lie he had put together on the way back. Father narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms during the explanation, not interrupting to ask questions. When he was done, Father said, “Let me see if I am understanding this correctly...You couldn’t sleep and instead of staying on the castle grounds, you decided to venture out to the very woods I told you and your siblings to avoid, all in the middle of the night and without telling anyone?”

The heir felt his cheeks grow hot. He knew that lie was stupid, but he couldn’t think of anything else, let alone something that would convince Father. “Y-Yes.”

Father stared at him for a moment. “Do you take me for a fool, Blumiere?”

“No, sir.” 

“Then tell me the true reason why you left. Were you planning to run away?”

Blumiere knew that he would be in hot water no matter how he answered. If he said yes, Father would punish him. If he said no, the chief would see through him anyway. He decided to give some of the truth. “I’ve been overwhelmed, Father! I only have three years until I take your place and there’s so much I don’t know! I haven’t seen any of the world outside of the Tribe and on top of all that, you expect me to marry a stranger!”

“Blumiere! That is enough.” The eldest son had to bite his tongue to keep from saying anything else. “You’re becoming a man,” Father went on. “I shouldn’t have to punish you but I will if you continue to disrespect me.”

The young lord nodded, lowering his head. “I’m...sorry, Father.”

“Is that really why you left? You were _overwhelmed?”_ He asked with disbelief and contempt, as if to say, _That’s it?_

“Yes. I just got lost, but I had every intention of coming back!” Blumiere said. Well, at least that part was somewhat true. 

The chief examined his bandaged eye. “I see. Who dressed this wound for you?”

Blumiere felt his shoulders grow tense. Why did Father have to ask so many questions? “Um...I did. I brought supplies with me just in case.”

After a brief moment, Father sighed. “Very well. I will forget about this incident as long as you promise not to do anything like this again.”

“I promise, Father.”

“Good.” The patriarch took a moment to sip the earl gray tea he left on his nightstand. “Now that you’re back, why don’t you tell me about your experience at the ball last night?”

Blumiere relaxed somewhat. “I had a nice time.”

“Did you meet anyone?”

The lord hesitated. _If I am being honest, I found no one that I am interested in that way...But Father will get angry if I tell him that._ “Yes. I met the most beautiful girl last night. She was so kind as well.”

“And what was her name?”

“Timp--” Blumiere cut himself off in the nick of time. Father raised an eyebrow. The lord faked a cough. “Excuse me. It was…” He searched the back of his mind for anyone’s presence that he tolerated. Luckily, there was one person he liked. “A-Arianna Darkmoon.”

“Alexander’s daughter?” Blumiere nodded. Father thought for a moment, staring into his teacup. “He is a successful merchant. If she married into our family, that would add even more wealth to us.”

“Yes. I would be lying if I said I didn’t think of that as well,” The lord said, even though it was a detail he had thought about only briefly. 

“I will invite this young lady to dinner tonight. You will let her know of your interest. And I expect you to propose to her within a month.”

That caught Blumiere off guard. For a moment, he forgot that he actually had to _marry_ Arianna and not just go on outings with her. “A-A month?”

“That should give you plenty of time to grow close to her.”

Again, the lord held his tongue. “Yes, Father.”

He stood and gave his son a quick pat on the back. “I am glad you’re back to your normal self now. Come along, Blumiere. You missed your morning lessons, so your tutor will have to cover twice as much material this afternoon.”

Blumiere nodded. As they left the room, his mind trailed back to that earlier moment, when Father asked about the young lady he was interested in. Why did he nearly say Timpani’s name? 

* * *

Around dinnertime, Blumiere examined his appearance in the mirror. His hair was combed neatly and he picked the nicest gray suit he could find. He even asked one of the servants to shine his shoes for him, something he usually saw as pointless. Father wanted him to put his best foot forward. Still, it would be difficult to do so when everyone would be staring at his bandaged eye. They had visited Layla earlier in the day, but she said that he had lost a lot of his vision and she had to look for a way to fix it. 

“My lord, Lady Arianna is here,” A voice with a robotic undertone said. 

The eldest son turned and nodded. “Tell her that I’m coming, Tock. Just a couple more minutes.”

Tock was a friendly Pixl that resembled a brown clock, only missing the numbers and maybe a hand to count the seconds. He had a short hour hand, a long minute hand, and small blue eyes. Tock’s purpose was to keep the leading family on time by remembering all of their commitments, reminding them when necessary, and cracking an occasional time pun. He had belonged to Grandfather, but was so close with Erik that the former promised to give Tock to the latter one day. 

Once Tock had flown off, Blumiere put on a gray top hat with a band of gold towards the bottom. He thought the situation over one more time and forced himself to smile. “It can’t be a bad thing to marry Arianna,” He said. “She was decent last night. Surely, I will fall in love with time, just as Father did with Mother…” Even after saying it, Blumiere still was not convinced, but he went to join his family anyway. 

As he approached the staircase, he looked down and noticed Mother and Father were already there along with his younger siblings. Erik and Ben bowed before their guest while Roselyn curtsied. Father said, “Welcome, Lady Arianna. Thank you for accepting our invitation.”

The lady smiled. “Thank you for inviting me. I am honored.”

“Yes. As you know, we have kept the purpose of this occasion secret. Now we might as well let you know why you are here.” Just then, Father looked up and saw Blumiere watching them. With the way the arch above the staircase was positioned, Arianna still could not see him. He frowned. “Son, are you coming?”

Blumiere swallowed hard before taking a deep breath. He walked down the staircase with his head held high, but kept a hand on the railing. As he came into the light, Arianna’s eyes grew wide. Blumiere stopped when he was a few feet in front of her.

Father continued. “Lady Arianna, my son. Lord Blumiere. I am sure you recognize him from last night.”

Arianna stared, not saying a word. There was a moment of awkward silence. Blumiere realized he would have to be the one to break it and quickly bowed before her. “Hello, Lady Arianna. It is a pleasure.”

She stammered before finding her voice again. “Y-Yes! I didn’t think I would see you again.” Blumiere smiled at that. He was about to say more when she blurted out, “What happened to your eye?”

Another moment of silence, only this one was more tense and uncomfortable. Blumiere forced a grin. “I fell down a cliff.”

Arianna chuckled before breaking into laughter. The others joined in and the oldest child felt a weight lift off his shoulders. Well, he wasn’t lying. Before she could ask for a serious answer, he took her hand. “The chefs should have dinner prepared about now. Come, follow me.”

Dinner was more lively than usual. Father took on the act of the cheerful, friendly host again while Mother and Grandfather were genuinely glad to have someone new over. Erik was quiet, but Ben shared embarrassing stories that happened to Blumiere when they were small while Roselyn offered to make her a new dress. The heir made himself talk when he could think of things to say, but mostly focused on eating. 

After dinner, they were left to their own devices and Blumiere had to spend less time with Arianna. His brothers decided to give her a tour of the garden while he sat in his room and lost himself in books, or at least tried to. The gray cloud that made him want to run away swept over him again. He knew he should be grateful to Father. He could have made him marry someone vain or selfish, but didn’t. Was Blumiere acting like a spoiled child by not being happy about this? 

Just then, there was a gentle knock at the door and Blumiere got up to open it. Roselyn was standing on the other side. “Hello, Rose.”

She looked around before whispering, “Can I come in?”

Blumiere nodded. Since the focus had shifted to him, Roselyn had been visiting more often. Perhaps it was because she knew they would have less time together in a short while. “Always, little one.”

Roselyn walked in and sat on his bed, as she had done so many times before. Blumiere didn’t even get a word in when she said, “You don’t really love Lady Arianna, do you?”

His smile faltered. “...What gave you that idea?”

“Well, you didn’t really seem in love to me. I’ve read books. You’re supposed to feel your heart race, the weight of the world lift from your shoulders, and not stop talking about them. You seemed like your usual self, just a little more talkative. Plus, we have a few free hours before bedtime, yet you’re spending it in your room by yourself instead of with her.”

The young man sighed, burying a hand into his hair. “Sweet girl, you are too invested in my love life for your own good.”

The girl gave a solemn smile. “That means no.”

“No, I don’t love her. I do like her though and that’s enough.”

Roselyn groaned. “Nooooooo, that’s so _boring."_

Blumiere sat on the bed beside her, pulling her closer to him with his arm. “What would you rather have me say? Arianna is a perfectly fine girl and yet I don’t feel love for her. I think this just means I am the type of person who can’t fall in love,” He said, as if stating a fact. 

Even back when marriage was far off, Blumiere hadn’t been interested in girls. This was normal when he was a child, as most boys go through a phase when they think all girls are inferior. However, as he matured, he noticed Erik talk about wanting to have a wife one day and Ben had a new infatuation every other week. His cousins wanted to meet girls too. As for Blumiere, he didn’t find anyone that he wanted to be with romantically. After awhile, he accepted that he wouldn’t find love for a long time, if at all. 

“I doubt it!” Roselyn said, bringing him back to the present moment. “There’s someone out there for everyone.” Looking up at him, she asked, “When you find a girl that you want to spend the rest of your life with, will you tell me?”

The blue-skinned man knew that her request was both ridiculous and impossible. If he was going to marry Arianna within the next few months, then when and where would he have the opportunity to find someone he could truly love? Maybe the nine-year-old hadn’t quite processed the information about his engagement yet. Still, he nodded. “When that happens, I will be sure to tell you.”

Roselyn nodded before tugging at his shirt. “Come on.”

“What is it?”

“Even if you don’t like Lady Arianna, you should at least pretend you do. You won’t fool Father into thinking that if you’re hiding in your room!”

Blumiere frowned. “I’m not hiding…” Still, she did make a good point and Arianna was a guest here. It would be rude to avoid her.

“Sure you aren’t. Now, come on! I think she’s still in the garden!”

* * *

Blumiere went outside, not only because his sister wanted him to, but because he knew that he owed Arianna an explanation. She was sitting at the base of the fountain, reading a book. He approached her quietly and cleared his throat. 

Arianna looked up. She put her book down and stood. “Oh, my lord! I-I didn’t expect to see you.”

His smile faltered. “Please...Just call me Blumiere.”

“Alright,” She said. She patted next to her on the polished marble and he sat down. “What did you want to speak to me about, my...erm...Blumiere?” 

He sighed. “I should have told you who I was, but...I preferred being a random face in the crowd for just a moment. All I wanted was for you to not put me on a pedestal.”

She was quiet for a few seconds, thinking of what to say. “I’m not angry with you, if that’s what you’re here for. I’m mostly shocked, if anything...Is it true? What you said last night?”

“Which part?”

She turned to look at his face. “When you said your father was forcing you into this.” 

Blumiere nodded quickly. Arianna pursed her lips. “But I really did enjoy your company the most out of all the ladies I met,” He continued. “As you would expect, the others put on a façade to try and impress me. You were honest.”

Arianna smiled. “I am glad you invited me. It’s been so long, but I still remember the day we met.”

His eyes widened. “We’ve met before?”

She nodded. “I don’t blame you if you don’t remember. We were still young, maybe 4 or 5 years old. Father brought me along to make some kind of deal with your father. We picked flowers together and chased each other in the grass…” Blushing, she added, “I think you were my first crush…”

“R-Really?”

“Yes. Still...I’m not sure how to feel about being welcomed by your family. My father actually grew up poor before discovering his work. We’re new money, so we’re not always respected by the other nobles.”

Blumiere thought for a moment. Should he tell her what Father had in mind for them or keep the information to himself? He decided there was no point in keeping it secret. “Father wants me to propose to you within a month.” She let out a small, quiet gasp and her eyes grew wide. He clasped his hands together. “I can count on him to make some kind of spectacle out of it in front of the others. We will have to do it at a party or in public, where all of the commoners can see us. Give them something to talk about…”

Arianna bit her lip. “If I marry you, I’ll be a part of your family and have the title of Countess…”

“That you would.”

She sighed. “Alright. When you ask for my hand, I’ll accept. Just promise you’ll be honest with me from now on.”

“Of course. After all, I never was a good liar…” Blumiere said. 

However, as soon as he spoke those words, he thought of all the things he would have to keep secret. She wouldn’t know how Father would be calm one moment, then grow deathly silent and angry the next. Nor the dark thoughts that crept into the back of Blumiere’s mind when he was trying to sleep. Most importantly, she wouldn’t know about Timpani. He kept all of his worries hidden behind a shy grin. 

* * *

That night, the young lord opened his bedroom door quietly. It was about 9 o’clock now and his parents were getting ready for bed. Grandfather had to have already been asleep. Even though he and his siblings were allowed to keep their lights on for another hour or so, the halls were mostly dark and silent. 

Blumiere went downstairs, hiding behind a wall as guards walked past the staircase. He took a deep breath, trying his best to ignore his pounding heart. Then he took another turn and opened the door to the garden. He crept down the small stairs that were in front of this entrance and turned to the gate. 

He only walked a few steps towards it when he heard a familiar voice. “Blumiere.” He jumped and spun around. Father was right behind him, holding the door open with narrowed eyes. Where had he come from? “What are you doing?’

“I just...wanted to get some fresh air. W-Why are you out here?”

Father frowned and pulled a familiar book out of his coat. “The Dark Prognosticus told me you would be rebellious, but I didn’t want to believe it. What are you trying to run from, Blumiere?”

He opened his mouth to answer only to find that he couldn’t get the words out. He closed it, feeling his cheeks burn. 

“Get back inside now…”

Blumiere nodded and followed Father back. He took him back to his room and said that he would not see him sneaking out again. The heir waited until he had returned to his own room. He sighed, knowing he would not be able to reach the outside world again. At least not tonight. Still, there was one thing he could do. 

After looking both ways, Blumiere went to Erik’s room and opened the door a crack. He whispered, “Tock?”

Within a few seconds, the Pixl flew out. “Lord Blumiere? What is it? You still have approximately 8 hours until your typical wake-up time.”

“I know, I know. But...can I ask for a quick favor? And please do not tell Father.”

Tock grinned. “I always have _time_ for you, my lord.”

“Then come in. Quickly.” They both went to Blumiere’s room. Grabbing an ink quill and a piece of parchment, he wrote a quick letter to Timpani explaining that he wouldn’t be able to make it that night and that they would have to try again tomorrow. After letting the ink dry, he wrapped the paper securely and tied it before turning back to Tock. “Do you know how to get to the human village?”

The Pixl thought for a moment, his minute hand ticking by rapidly, before replying. “I do have a mental map of the Tribe of Darkness and the surrounding area in my head. The village is not far as long as you cross the woods and find a better way down than the cliff base.”

Blumiere nodded and handed him the letter. “A girl with a rainbow ribbon in her hair should be waiting by a lone tree. Bring this letter to her and return as quickly as you can.”

Tock nodded, took the letter, and flew out the window. Blumiere watched him leave before sighing. Yes, he was a horrible liar, but this was one secret he intended to keep. He hoped Timpani would understand why he couldn’t make it. There was still so much he wanted her to know. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to deal with another round of writer's block to get this out. But now, we can get the ball rolling and see Timpani again soon. She is one of my favorite characters to write. As for how I write Blue, well...I forget who he's gonna be later on. I might go back to another story of mine that's on hiatus before releasing Chapter 6 of this one so I hope you'll stay tuned until then!
> 
> -Free


End file.
